


Romeo + Dodgeball

by seriestrash



Category: Andi Mack (TV), Tyrus - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 18:10:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17126252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seriestrash/pseuds/seriestrash
Summary: Cyrus is having trouble in gym and TJ is having trouble in English. The two agree to help each other out.





	Romeo + Dodgeball

**Author's Note:**

> Another one shot from a while ago that I posted on tumblr

After final bell for the day, Cyrus hurries towards TJ’s locker in hopes he’d catch the captain of the basketball team before he left. Cyrus is relieved when he spots TJ throwing his backpack over his shoulder just a few steps shy of his locker. 

“TJ!” Cyrus calls out as he was still a little further down the hall. 

TJ spots Cyrus and lifts his hand up to wave and the two walk towards one another. 

“I need your help with something.” Cyrus says a little out of breath as he had hurried over from his own locker. 

“Sure.” TJ smiles.

“You’re not even going to ask me what I need help with before agreeing?” Cyrus pricks up a brow. 

“Well when you put it like that…” TJ pulls a funny face and chuckles. 

“It’s a physical _education_ issue.” Cyrus stresses the extra word after learning from his misleading statement the first time. 

“Ahh my specialty.” TJ says proudly. “You’ve come to the right friend.” 

“Buffy was busy.” Cyrus nervously blurts out without thinking. 

“Oh so I’m your backup sporty friend.” TJ jokingly takes offence, “Way to make a guy feel special.” 

Cyrus laughs anxiously at TJ’s joke. “So can you help me, pretty please?” 

“I already said yes.” TJ laughs, “What is it this time, handstands?” 

“I wish.” Cyrus frowns, “It’s something worse, much, much worse…  _Dodgeball._ ” 

“I love dodgeball!” TJ exclaims. 

“Of course you do, you’re you and I’m me.” Cyrus scoffs.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” TJ wears a quizzical and somewhat offended look.

“Some people - _you -_ are born to play dodgeball and other people _\- me -_ are born to be targets.” Cyrus gestures between them. 

TJ shakes his head, “With an attitude like that, you might as well stand around and ask to be hit with dodgeballs.” 

“I already am pelted with them,” Cyrus groans, “I feel like the whole class has conspired against me. You know there is a guy on crutches in my gym class and he still gets picked for a team before I do.” 

TJ wears a slightly empathetic but also lightly amused smile. 

“If I don’t get one person out tomorrow I’m going to fail dodgeball.” Cyrus continues.

“You have to be ready by tomorrow?” TJ questions. 

“I know, impossible, right?” Cyrus frowns. 

“No it’s not that, I just have a test on Romeo and Juliet tomorrow.” TJ explains. 

Cyrus’ face lights up, “Ahhh, two households, both alike in dignity,” Cyrus begins passionately and continues, “In fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-cross’d lovers-” Cyrus stops with a frown once he notices TJ’s confused expression. “TJ that’s the opening paragraph of the play?” 

“Okay, small confession… I haven’t started reading it yet.” TJ grins innocently. 

“And your test is tomorrow?”Cyrus questions. 

TJ’s innocent expression remains. “Since you seem to know the material maybe we could both help each other out.”  

“It’s going to be a long night.” Cyrus exhales with a nod. 

“We better get going to the gym then.” TJ throws his arm around Cyrus’ shoulder.

“When you say gym you don’t mean your work do you?” Cyrus asks. “You’re not going to get small children to throw dodgeballs at me because that is not good for my self esteem.” 

“Don’t worry, Underdog, we’re going to the big kids gym.” TJ chuckles as they walk. 

“Ugh, that’s worse.” Cyrus groans. 

The two make their way to the schools gymnasium. It’s empty other than them. Since TJ is captain of the basketball team he has a key to access the sports equipment after hours which is handy considering they needed the dodgeballs. 

“It’s probably going to feel a little silly one on one like this but it should still help.” TJ says as he drags the bag of dodgeballs over. “I suppose it will feel like we’re the final two players of the game.” 

“That’s a highly unlikely scenario.” Cyrus laughs. 

“You have to stop doubting yourself so much,” TJ says seriously, “It’s like you tell yourself you can’t do it so you don’t.”

Cyrus looks at him with a kind expression for a second but grew nervous and joked, “You sound like all four of my parents.”

TJ crinkles his nose at that remark and picks up a dodgeball before rolling it over to Cyrus, “I’ll let you have a freebie.”

“You’re just going to stand there and let me hit you?” Cyrus asks, “What if I hurt you?” 

“You’re not trying to hurt me so you won’t.” TJ says confidently, “Come on just hit me, let me see your aim.”

“Okay,” Cyrus takes a deep breath and he throws the ball towards TJ, it was completely to the left and didn’t even make TJ flinch. Cyrus looks away embarrassed. 

“Try again,” TJ says encouragingly as he rolls another ball Cyrus’ way and they kept going and going, each time TJ was nowhere near in danger of being hit with the ball.

 After the aiming wasn’t working so well they switched to dodging. TJ was very gently throwing the balls at Cyrus but still he managed to connect with them every time. TJ even tried to fumble a few turns - purposely missing Cyrus - but Cyrus managed to dodge his way into their path. 

When TJ throws another ball, Cyrus finally manages to dodge it by jumping but as he comes back down he trips over the ball and lands with a thud on the floor. 

“Oh my god, Cyrus are you okay?” TJ asks worried as he runs over, “I’m so sorry.” 

Cyrus lays there staring at the ceiling until TJ hovers over him with a concerned expression. 

“This is ridiculous, I’m a lost cause.” Cyrus admits defeat, “You should be working on your English test instead of wasting your time with me.” 

“You need to stop treating it like bootcamp and just have fun with it.” TJ explains. 

“Easy for you, I’m just a k-” 

“Kugel of a man,” TJ shakes his head with a laugh. He extends his hand out to help Cyrus. “Just try having fun this time?” 

“Fine,” Cyrus lets out a heavy sigh as he takes TJ up on his offer of help, “ _Fun_..” 

The two go back to their original one on one arrangement but this time it’s filled with less structure and much more laughter. Cyrus still manages to connect with most of TJ’s throws but he was getting better at dodging. Cyrus also managed to hit TJ a couple times and with every connection he made he did a celebratory victory lap around the taller boy. 

“I think you’ll do just fine tomorrow, Underdog.” TJ smiles and he turns his body to follow Cyrus as he makes his victory lap. “You just have to remember to enjoy yourself.” 

“Oh I almost forgot,” Cyrus stops his lap around TJ, “Now we have to help you.” 

TJ frowns because he was having fun but he did really need help on this. The two go over to their bags on the bleachers and sit down. Cyrus sits cross legged on the seat and TJ sits beside him with one leg tucked under himself. TJ pulls out his playbook and starts stoically reading it out loud. 

“None of this makes sense.” TJ groans after reading no more than a page, “Did anyone ever actually talk like this?”

“TJ, focus.” Cyrus taps the pages of his playbook. 

“It’s boring,” TJ pouts, “Can’t we go back to playing dodgeball?” 

“We just need to bring it to life for you.” Cyrus says. 

“Can we watch the movie?” TJ is hopeful but Cyrus’ disapproving look made him frown. 

“If only I had baby taters,” Cyrus sighs, “Tater Theatre is perfect for Romeo and Juliet.”

“Tater theatre?” TJ gives him a confused look. 

“Ketchup makes for some gruesome effects.” Cyrus grins. 

“Sure.” TJ says still confused. 

“But not to worry,” Cyrus stands in place and plucks TJ’s playbook from his hands, “I was born to play this part - and all the parts.” He adds with a laugh.

TJ laughs softly and settles back and watches as Cyrus dramatically reads the play to him. Cyrus pauses every so often to explain things and answer TJ’s questions. 

Cyrus wasn’t even halfway through the play when the schools janitor enters the gym and interrupts the pair. 

“It’s getting late kids, you ought to be going home.” He says. 

The two looked at each other surprised and when Cyrus notices the time on his phone his eyes widen as the evening had completely gotten away from them. 

“Can we go back to my house and watch the movie now?” TJ asks.

“Sure, I’ll just call my dad and ask if he can come pick me up later.” Cyrus nods. 

When the two exit the gym together the sun is almost set so the two hurry off to TJ’s house before darkness completely blanketed the sky. 

Once at TJ’s house, he lets them both inside and tosses his backpack to the side without a care. 

“Are you hungry?” TJ asks as he leads them into the kitchen, “My mom is working late tonight but she left mac n cheese in the fridge for dinner.” 

“Sure, thanks.” Cyrus nods and sits at the bench whilst TJ fixes them two servings. 

With two bowls of reheated mac n cheese in hand they settle in the living room to eat and watch the dvd TJ had already hired. After finishing his bowl of food Cyrus began to feel drowsy from exerting all his energy in the gym earlier. As a result, Cyrus nods off somewhere during the second act. 

Cyrus only wakes when TJ rather loudly comments on the films ending, “They both die? Double suicide? That’s how it ends?”

Cyrus groggily looks over at TJ.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” He gives Cyrus an apologetic smile. 

“How long was I out?” Cyrus yawns and he sits himself upright after being curled into the arm of the sofa. 

“You fell asleep somewhere after the party.”

“I’m sorry,” Cyrus apologises, “You helped me and I was supposed to help you.” 

“No you did back at the gym when you were reading and explaining things.” TJ affirms, “The movie was just so I knew how it ended.” 

“You really didn’t know how it ended?” Cyrus questions and TJ shrugged. “It said it the prologue, ‘A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life’? No?” 

“Wow, spoiler alert much Shakespeare.” TJ jokes. 

“So what did you think?” Cyrus asks.

“Love is stupid.” TJ chuckles and his rather childish response strangely made Cyrus smile. 

“And in conclusion, _love is stupid,_ ” Cyrus jokes with a cute laugh of his own, “You’re sure to get an A with that closing statement.”

-

The following day at lunch, Cyrus is with Buffy and Andi as he nurses his black eye with an icepack when TJ comes over looking concerned. 

“Are you okay?” He asks worried. 

“I’m amazing!” Cyrus says positively. 

“Your eye?” TJ winces looking at it. 

“Oh this is terrible, not fun at all,” Cyrus laughs, “But I got it after I got someone else out in dodgeball!” 

“Hey!” TJ claps him on the shoulder, “Good work, Underdog.” 

“He took out the kid on crutches,” Buffy scoffs. 

“I still took him out.” Cyrus sends her a mild glare. “How did your test go?” Cyrus asks as he turns his attention back to TJ. 

“I won’t find out right away but I’m pretty sure I passed.” TJ grins. 

“I’m sure you did!” Cyrus beams happily. 

“Cyrus theatre really helped.” TJ says. 

“Cyrus theatre?” Andi questions. 

“It’s like tater theatre without the taters.” Cyrus explains. 

“And how was that?” Buffy asks TJ amused at the thought. 

“Stupid.” TJ laughs softly. 


End file.
